Haelan faiebanks



(No Model.)

H. FAIRBANKS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented May 8, 1883.

N. PETERS. FPXDo-Lrihngraphen Washinglon. D. c,

I .UNlTED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

HARLAN FAIRBANKS, CF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T9 THE NEW ENGLAND PATENT FIRE ESCAPE COMPANY, OF SAME PLAECE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent' No. 277,415, dated May 8, 1883.

Application filed January 22, 1883. (No model.)

' To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLAN FAIRBANKS, of the city of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire- Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a perspective view of the upper end of a fire-escape, showing lnyimproveinent. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same laid down flatwise. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same. Figs.

, 4, 5, and 6 are detail views, showing the meth- 1 0d of attaching the rounds to the side ropes.

My improvement relates to that class of fireescapes in which a canvas or other flexible spout is employed, extending from the window or other place of exit to the ground.

The invention consists in an improved con struction of the top of the spout to facilitate entrance to the saine,as hereinafter more fully described.

' In the drawings, A shows the upper end of 2 the flexible canvas spout or conveyer, which extends from the window to the ground.

13 B are rounds or rungs, which connect the two side ropes, C C, at proper intervals apart, and form a ladder above the spout or conveyer. My improvement is as follows:

D is a curved iron, made of apiece of gaspipe or other suitable material, the same being into the form of a half-circle ora segment, and the upper end of the spout being attached thereto by sewing or other means. The sides of the spout at the top have gores, by which the spout is widened at that point sufficiently to fill the width of the curved iron or stay.

E E are two double'bights of rope or cord, attached to the stay midway between the center and the ends by passing through eyelets of the cloth, thence extending backward, and having eyes a a at their ends, through which a bar orrod is inserted inside the window, resting against and across the window, and thus sustaining the fire-escape.

G G are two extensions of the side ropes, C C, which extensions pass up over the ends of the curved iron stay D, being fastened there- 50 to, thence extend backward and downward,

and are attached midway of the bights E E, fast thereto. When the ends of the bights are drawn back taut and secured by the bar aforesaid inside the window, the bottom of the curved stay will strike the front of the window -sill, and the tension will cause the curved stay to stand upright, as shown in Fig.

1, thus distending and opening the mouth of the bag and affording every facility for ready entrance and passage downward of any person who may wish to escape. This effect isproduced by the use of theextensions G G, which, when tightened, hold the curved stay in the proper upright position.

Heretot'ore the upper end of the bag has 6 been held by the side ropes, which were provided with hooks or other attachments, and were drawn inside the window, and in such case the end of the bag hung some distance below the window, and was wrinkled and drawn together, so that IlOlnOlllill was left open, and it was very difficult to enter. This invention obviates all these difliculties, and opens the mouth ot'the bag in such a manner that no trouble is experienced iii-entering the escape, even under the most exciting circumstances The rounds or rungs are attached in the following way: The ends of the rounds are turned with grooves b b, Fig. 5. The side ropes, C C, are split or divided, and the ends of the rounds are inserted through the splits till the strands embrace the grooves in the rounds. The natural strain of the ropes bind the rounds; but they are secured in place by 8 windings, c c, .ofcord on opposite sides of the rounds, as shown in Fig. 6.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a fire-escape, the combination, with the spout A, of the curved stay D at the upper end thereof, the bights E E, attached to the stay and extending backward, and the extensions G G of the side ropes, passing over 5 the ends of the stay, extending back and attached to the bights, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing 10o witnesses.

' HARLAN FAIRBANKS.

- Witnesses: E. ERNEST CAnUo,

Gno. J. Monsn. 

